bob998 Reviews

Le scandale Clouzot (2017 TV Movie)

Why I don't like HGC

[8/10 · 29 February 2024]

I think about the directors of the period 1930-1960 that I admire--Renoir, Clair, Carne, Gremillon, Duvivier and others--and I realize that I have little admiration or affection for Clouzot. His obsessive, paranoid style of filmmaking has little attraction for me. There's no joy in being the French Hitchcock, in bullying your actors and putting nightmarish scenes up on the screen. Take Les diaboliques, with the awful scene of Paul Meurisse lying in the bathtub, then rising slowly to frighten Vera Clouzot to death: only a sadistic personality could shoot a scene like that. It's Clouzot's Psycho, and just as worthless as art. A collaborator is interviewed: she says his flaw was in not having any imagination. He'd ask his actress Suzy Delair to make up some dialogue because he couldn't think of anything to write down.

The end of this 60 minute documentary came not too soon. I've got some films by Jacques Becker I want to rewatch... now there was a real filmmaker.

The Comfort of Strangers (1990)

It's no classic

[5/10 · 16 February 2024]

Hmmm... As I watched this my mind kept slipping off to great movies about Venice I've seen over the years: Death in Venice with Dirk Bogarde wandering through the city, besotted with Tadzio; Don't Look Now, Roeg's finest film, that makes the city look really menacing; Eva with Jeanne Moreau as the femme fatale for a lost Stanley Baker; Senso, one of Visconti's best films with Farley Granger and Alida Valli working out their doomed love affair. Four films that I'd take with me to a desert island (which would not have canals, of course).

Then I had to return to this limp noodle of a story. Everett looks like he's been making Calvin Klein briefs commercials, Richardson sounds chirpy and fun and you can't figure out what she's doing with these people, Walken and Mirren don't look like they could be married to anybody anywhere. Some nice exterior shots, and the music is fine.

Sound of Metal (2019)

Not the classic some expected

[5/10 · 27 January 2024]

I was continually reminded of Children of a Lesser God while watching this. That movie from the 80's had William Hurt, showing warmth for once, and a really fine performance from Marlee Matlin as a deaf girl; it is much preferable to this well meaning but confused story about a heavy metal drummer who loses his hearing. The second act, at the deaf school, is full of platitudes about what deafness means. I shook my head when the director told Ruben to sit down and write every morning, even if he couldn't stand to do so. And Ruben of course hates the very idea of putting pen to paper--if it were me I'd feel greatly relieved at the chance for self expession. It only remains to say that there is no chemistry between Riz Ahmed and Olivia Cooke.

Mozart: Don Giovanni (2019 Video)

The Don lives

[8/10 · 24 November 2023]

Well, I wanted to get this off my chest first-off: IMDb makes it hard for users. Carlos Alvarez, the wonderful Spanish baritone who sings Don Giovanni here, is listed as Carlos Alvarez VII in the database; it took me a quarter hour to locate him and find this video to review. I can't believe that the other Carlos Alvarezes are that important they need to be billed over the singer.

But enough of that. We have a fine production here, albeit in the cavernous venue of the old Roman amphitheatre in Verona, big enough for twenty horses at least, floats and banners, and completely lacking in intimacy. Watch it for the singers and the costumes which are splendid.

Don Giovanni (2019)

Wonderful Don Giovanni

[9/10 · 23 November 2023]

The Royal Opera House really excelled in their production of Mozart's most often performed opera (I'm guessing). The sets are terrific: a house with balcony that revolves is a super idea by Es Devlin. The costumes are attractive: Donna Elvira wears a sleek black gown that mirrors her disturbed emotional state very well; Giovanni is dressed in a stylish blue suit and vest that make him look more conventional than he really is. Erwin Schrott is the best Giovanni I've seen in a long time, with a very expressive voice and gestures, Myrto Papatanassiu is angry and forgiving in equal measure, while Roberto Tagliavini is just about perfect as the hapless Leporello--he will have to find a better master.

The Brute (1953)

Routine, with some flashes of brilliance

[7/10 · 25 October 2023]

After watching four Bunuel films from his Mexican period, I conclude that by working in Mexico he was forced into making movies with sober stories and sober, even though corrupt, characters. El bruto could have been made by any American B movie director; Sam Peckinpah might have made a tight little classic out of it. There's no surrealism at all in this one.

Pedro Armendariz uses his enormous star power to give an unforgettable performance as the brute, a 'slow thinker' as he calls himself--he's a Victor McLaglen type only a lot sexier. Katy Jurado, the female equivalent of Armendariz in popularity, is wonderfully mendacious here. And Andres Soler as the grasping landlord reminds me so much of Walter Huston; they could have been brothers. Enjoyable to watch, because of the performances, just don't expect the usual Bunuel touches.

Deux heures à tuer (1966)

Routine noir from the 60's

[6/10 · 5 October 2023]

From the Michel Simon 6-pack I recently bought. Two of my favourite actors from the 1930's, Michel Simon and Pierre Brasseur, and Raymond Rouleau one of the handsomest stars in France after the war, plus two singing stars, Jean-Roger Caussimon and Catherine Sauvage join forces to make a fitfully absorbing noir set in a railway station in a sleepy French town. There's been a murder, or a series of murders, I wasn't too sure, and the police seem helpless to solve the case. The married couple played by Caussimon and Sauvage are too offputting to engage our interest, Simon throws a temper fit for some reason I couldn't discern, and Brasseur is left to hold the story together which he does pretty well. This film is primarily for people who feel sentimental about train stations going to seed in towns that time has passed by.

Cécile est morte! (1944)

Albert Prejean ineffective as Maigret

[6/10 · 3 October 2023]

Kino Lorber has once again done a fine job with this restoration; the b/w cinematography comes through with utmost clarity in this Blu-ray reissue. The performances by Germaine Kerjean as the greedy aunt and Jean Brochard as the crooked charity worker are excellent, so to is that by Santa Relli as the hapless Cecile. The problem lies with Prejean's Maigret, always sarcastic and bullying, the opposite of the Maigret of the novels. I guess the scriptwriter had to pay tribute to Prejean's working class background--he'd been a boxer and stunt man--but it's hard for me to accept. Gabriello's character is blown out of proportion, he's given lines to say that just don't fit Lucas' role in the novel. If you can ignore these flaws, you'll enjoy a good story.

Une femme à sa fenêtre (1976)

A certain tradition of quality

[7/10 · 27 September 2023]

It's passed into legend: how the young Turks of French cinema--Truffaut, Chabrol, Godard and the others--wanted to sweep away the dusty relics of the previous generation, the so-called well made films. What's less known is how those young Turks went on to make some of the stuffiest movies of the late 60's and 70's: I'm thinking of Resnais's Stavisky, Chabrol's Juste avant la nuit and La decade prodigieuse, Truffaut's Dernier Metro. The art decoration and costumes are impeccable; the stories often leave you falling asleep. Pierre Granier-Deferre is the same age as the men I've mentioned, but never gave in to the urge to experiment. As a result he never fell into total boredom, just as he never excites us.

Drieu la Rochelle killed himself in 1945 before he could be charged with collaborating with the Germans, so he's always been a little daring for film directors. Louis Malle, who would take on any project, made a great film out of Le feu follet. Granier-Deferre is careful not to upset the sensibilities of those who remember the war, and the horrors of collaboration. I'm sure he makes Boutros out to be a more sympathetic character than he is in the novel. Victor Lanoux plays him with a lot of charm, making him a great foil for Romy Schneider who is at the peak of her glory here. Philippe Noiret gives excellent support as the rich man who wants to support Romy. It's a shame the direction is so stodgy; the camera hardly moves in those overdecorated rooms.

Strangers in the House (1942)

Great performance by Raimu

[10/10 · 17 September 2023]

First let me say the Kino Lorber blu ray edition is a beautiful job; the black and white tones come through wonderfully well. A seventy year old film looks almost new.

Some people may dislike the idea of a great star moving out of his comfort zone--movies like Carnet de bal, the Marius trilogy, or the Guitry films--but for me it is wonderful to see Raimu playing an almost terminally cynical and used up man in this one. Loursat seems only one disappointment away from death, and the power of his performance is only increased when we see the supporting cast going about their routines in a boring provincial town. (I wondered why Nicole stayed in that mouldering house--it certainly wasn't for love of her father.) Some famous French movie people--Gabin, Renoir, Clair--left for Hollywood when the war broke out, but the ones who remained made some wonderful pictures, like this one.

The Woman Next Door (1981)

Fanny Ardant carries the film

[8/10 · 10 September 2023]

Depardieu is capable in this role of a happy middle class guy who is ready for a crazy adventure that will threaten his marriage and security, but it is Fanny Ardant as the woman who will upset the apple cart decisively who really shines in this movie. She's like a classical heroine in her recklessness and willingness to grab all the happiness she can find in this small town. Her husband is devoted to her, thoughtful and pragmatic--that's probably why she risks everything pursuing Depardieu.

My enjoyment was diminished by the insertion of Mme Jouve's character who offers a commentary on the events on screen, for reasons I can only guess at. Did Truffaut not trust his own story telling skills that he had to write in this superfluous character, or did he owe a favour to Veronique Silver? We'll never know.

Mado (1976)

Disappointment

[6/10 · 7 September 2023]

Mado came as part of a Romy Schneider 3-pack from Panoceanic films, the other two being Les innocents aux mains sales and Le mouton enrage. It's the weakest of the three because of Claude Sautet's clumsy direction: this man always packs his movies with as many bit players as he can, possibly because he doesn't trust his ability to make a scene work using only two actors in the frame. The finale in the rainstorm with the road turned to mud is made even worse by the fifteen or so actors who have to create some stage business out of nothing.

Another cavil: as others have pointed out, Romy Schneider is onscreen for barely five minutes and gets equal billing with Piccoli and Piccolo who have so much more to do. The supporting actors are thankfully very good: Michel Aumont and Julien Guiomar are villainous as corrupt real estate moguls, and Charles Denner, whom I've loved in many films, does a great job with a crook who wants to see justice done, on his terms.

Love at the Top (1974)

How to rise to the top, if you have no scruples

[7/10 · 6 September 2023]

Michel Deville was of the same generation as Truffaut, Chabrol and Godard, but resembles them not at all. He seems to belong to an older generation, like Carne and Renoir, but much more eroticized. The story is that of mentor and student (sort of Svengali and Trilby, but with two men). The homosexual undercurrent of the story should not be too hard to see for most viewers. Trintignant is the shy 'sheep' of the title, his overbearing mentor, who has emotional problems owing to his club foot, is Cassel, one of his most impressive performances.

I don't know who is really the female lead--is it Birkin or Schneider? They both have very important roles. Florinda Bolkan, so great in Investigation of a Citizen..., has another memorable role here. Mary Marquet, almost 80 at the time, has a superb cameo as the very rich woman Trintignant has to romance.

Conviction (2018)

Long but rewarding

[7/10 · 18 August 2023]

You won't like Nora very much; her interest in the Viguier case has tipped over into obsession. She's neglecting her son who resents her for this, she's treating her boyfriend almost like a servant... she's a piece of work. But she has one saving grace: she's really committed to the case, and she manages to get a first-rate lawyer interested in defending the man who'd already been tried once for murder.

The lawyer, played by Olivier Gourmet, turns out to be almost a magician. His closing speech is a barn burner, it recalls Raimu in Les Inconnus dans la maison in its power. For this finale alone, the film deserves to be seen.

The box gives the title as CONVICTION, which is a concession to tthe North American market which I regret.

Keep an Eye Out (2018)

Keep an eye (in the strict sense) out

[7/10 · 13 August 2023]

When I see Benoit Poelvoorde's name on a movie, I always watch. He's become the new Pierre Richard, if you remember The Blond Man With a Brown Shoe from the 70's. Only thing, Poelvoorde is much tougher than the benign Richard. Watching him can be a little exhausting.

Whatever, here we have a surrealist caper masquerading as a police procedural. I think Dupieux must have been influenced by Bunuel and by Argento, for the surreal aspects and the violence. What happens to Philippe in the office has to be seen to be believed (it involves a protractor). The acting is first rate, from Poelvoorde as the bullying detective and Gregoire Ludig as the harried suspect. There's a wonderful turn by Anais Demoustier as Philippe's girlfriend, constantly saying 'actually' to everyone's exasperation. I'll be looking out for more of Dupieux's work.

The Pretendians (2022)

Very useful, very timely

[8/10 · 4 July 2023]

Drew Hayden Taylor has given us the best description of the 'pretendians' that we are ever likely to have. These white people pretending to be native Canadians are occupying teaching posts at the universities, and draining tax money from our governments. Imagine people calling a car dealer and asking for delivery of a car to a reserve, then showing a fake 'status card' which means they don't have to pay sales taxes on the vehicle.

Liana Constantino is interviewed; she is a Cherokee who has taken pains to expose a 'pretendian' named Robert Lovelace who teaches at Queen's University. Professor Lovelace proves to be very hard to locate, and the band he claims to belong to seemingly doesn't exist. Thanks to Mr Taylor for exposing a blight on our society.

This Angry Age (1958)

Plodding version of Duras novel

[4/10 · 10 June 2023]

Rene Clement will be remembered for Plein Soleil, in which Alain Delon played Ripley perfectly, and Jeux interdits, which brought a whole new dimension, that of children's impressions of war, to the war film. If This Angry Age (AKA Barrage contre le Pacifique, The Sea Wall) is very forgettable that doesn't detract from Clement's well earned reputation. Jo van Fleet creates another in a line of formidable mother figures--she indulges in some scene-chewing in some scenes. Anthony Perkins plays a petulant teenager; it's so annoying to watch him pout and squirm. Silvana Mangano brings some class and talent to the enterprise; you can at least imagine that her heart has been broken over the flawed diamond. Richard Conte is solid and believable. Thanks to somebody on Youtube, I was able to watch this.

Leonard Cohen: Live in London (2009 Video)

Down through the years with Leonard

[8/10 · 7 June 2023]

About forty years of songwriting are represented here, from the earliest efforts of the mid-60's to the late songs of the early 2000's. Leonard was dragged out of retirement by the theft of his savings by his former manager, and we can appreciate the energy that he puts into this London performance of 2008. There's one great song after another: Dance Me To the End of Love, Bird On the Wire, Tower Of Song and so many more. The Webb Sisters and Sharon Robinson give fine support to the vocals--and we must admit that at 74 Leonard hadn't much voice left. The only flaw in this wonderful concert are the introductions of the musicians, repeated several times in case we missed it the first time.

Pickup Alley (1957)

Fun timewaster

[7/10 · 4 May 2023]

Found in Noir Archive vol 3, this is a watchable English noir that has some perfunctory acting from Mature and Ekberg, along with enjoyable scene chewing from Howard--what a long way from The Third Man and Brief Encounter!--and a terrific cameo from Bonar Colleano, whom I don't recall seeing before.

You won't care about the plot--something to do with international heroin smuggling, a murky subject dealt with carelessly by John Gilling. The interest lies in the locales, which are beautifully shot by Ted Moore, who besides making a half dozen Bond films also won an Oscar for A Man For All Seasons. The catacombs scene might have come from an Orson Welles film, Othello say, it's that evocative.

Bambi (2013)

Fascinating look at a vanished world

[8/10 · 26 March 2023]

Bambi's real name is Marie-Pierre Pruvot, she was born male in 1935 in Algeria, moved to Paris in the 50's to work as a drag performer at Le Carrousel, the famous alternative nightclub. Then in the 60's, with the clock running out on her looks, she transforms herself into a public school teacher in the town of Garges-les-Gonesse (can there really be such a place?). She finally retires in 2001, still pretty fabulous looking--she bears more than a passing resemblance to Mireille Darc.

Marie-Pierre has an honesty and freshness in front of the camera that I found wonderful. Some of the stories she tells of police harassment are startling, until we remember that France wasn't tolerant of people who were different in those days.

Afraid of the Dark (1991)

Blindness or horror?

[6/10 · 22 March 2023]

If your experience of blindness in movies is limited to A Patch of Blue, The Miracle Worker or Scent of a Woman, you'll find this one very disorienting. It starts with the boy seeing all sorts of strange goings-on--blind people getting aggressed in the streets of London, even murdered by a razor-wielding maniac. Then half way through we see the 'blind' people are sighted and the boy has severe vision problems. There's an undeniable power to some of the images (Clare Holman doing a nude photo session with a creepy photographer will stick in my mind for a while) but the script is too digressive for the story to cohere.

Mark Peploe wrote Profession: Reporter for Antonioni and three films for Bertolucci; his talent has been recognized for decades. With a bit more discipline, this could have been a classic.

Montparnasse 19 (1958)

Not the quality I'd expected

[6/10 · 21 March 2023]

First, the re-issue is excellent; the Centre National de la Cinematographie has really done a fine job of restoration of the negative. The black and white values come through very well.

I suppose Gerard Philipe was the natural choice to play Modigliani, but I wasn't as impressed by his work here as I had been by Les grandes manoeuvres or Les orgueilleux: there's a routine quality about his acting here that I hadn't seen before. Anouk Aimee is very beautiful, and manages to infuse her portrayal of Jeanne Hebuterne with some life. Gerard Sety as the lifelong friend Zborowsky, Lilli Palmer as the wacky English mistress, and Marianne Oswald as the gallery owner all contribute fine performances. I don't care about how the picture was made--the lawsuit and everything else--just about the results.

Caïn: Origines (1ère partie) (2019) Season 7, Episode 1

Diverting

[6/10 · 21 March 2023]

There's a network called AMI in my country which I stumbled on recently. Its target audience is disabled people, and programs are narrated by actors for blind viewers. Cain is one of the most popular shows on AMI, and is fairly well produced. The hero is a detective in a wheelchair; the locale is Marseille, and this particular episode features Victoria Abril and Andrea Ferreol, so I wasn't going to miss it. Julien Baumgartner plays Cain, and he's pretty good at it; I can see him playing in an adaptation of a classic novel--Le rouge et le noir, maybe. The actress playing his boss is pretty hopeless, as are some of the supporting cast. But Marseille always looks great.

Women Talking (2022)

Mariche says it

[8/10 · 11 March 2023]

Mariche says it (after her husband has beaten her black and blue): We are entitled to three things. We want our children to be safe. We want to be steadfast in our faith. We want to think. She wants to be steadfast in her Mennonite faith, no matter how many punches she has to endure. This makes it easier for her to contemplate a major change in her life: leaving the colony for the great unknown in the world. Staying would very likely lead to her death at the hands of a drunken brute who has just spent several days in jail and no doubt blames her for his crimes.

It's a fascinating story with remarkable performances by the actresses--I'll forget about the weepy Ben Whishaw who lowered my enjoyment every time he spoke. Claire Foy impressed me, as did Sheila McCarthy in an ensemble cast.

Lost Illusions (2021)

They had to boil it down

[7/10 · 9 March 2023]

It's a 600 page novel that had to be boiled down to fit the running time of 2 1/2 hours, some minor characters had to be thrown out. The third part of the book is dispensed with--no great loss.

We are left with a wonderful satire of the popular press in France circa 1830. Graft and bribery are part of the game, and our hero Lucien is never quite sure where the next knife is going to come from that will enter his back. My favourite character is Sarfati, the claque leader, whose mob can be bought for whomever pays top dollar. The acting is superb, as you might imagine: Depardieu, de France, de Lenquesaing all acquit themselves well, and Vincent Lacoste as Lucien's changeable buddy Lousteau is marvellous. Only Benjamin Voisin doesn't quite meet the demands of the role, and he's in almost every scene. Sets and costumes are very good, and Giannoli's direction is assured.